Thomas Wallace Blackwell
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Thomas Wallace, known as Wallace, was the son of Thomas (Tom) Wallace and Annie Blackwell (née Denman). His father Thomas Wallace was born in Nottingham in about 1863 and his mother Annie was also born in Nottingham in 1863. They were married at Nottingham St Matthew on 5 October 1882 and had nine children, six of whom survived infancy. All the children were born in Nottingham: Henry William birth registered 1883 (J/F/M), Robert Senior b. 1884, Maria birth registered 1887 (J/F/M), Tom Wallace (Wallace) b. 1891, Gerty Elizabeth b. 1899 and Harold birth registered 1906 (J/F/M). The three children who died in infancy may have been: Cecilia b. 1889 d. 1889 (reg. Celia) and twins Arthur and Ernest b. 1892 d. 1892. In 1891 Thomas, a stationer, and Annie were living at 3 Preston Street, Nottingham, with their sons Henry (8), Robert (6) and Tom (1 month). Their daughter Maria was with her uncle and aunt, Henry and Elizabeth Bailey, at their home in Nottingham. The family was still living at the same address in 1901. Thomas was now working as a paper ruler as was his son Robert, Henry was a hosiery trimmer, Maria a shirt/blouse machinist and Wallace was at school. Their youngest child, Gerty, was two years old. Harold was born five years later. Thomas and Annie had moved to 235 Castle Boulevard by 1911 and this remained their home until their deaths. Of their six children, five were still living at home: Henry a window cleaner, Wallace a machine ruler, Maria a blouse machinist, and Gerty and Harold (5) who were school age. The second son, Robert, had married Ada Whiteman in 1906. At the time the 1939 England and Wales Register was compiled, Tom and Annie were living at 235 Castle Boulevard with their unmarried daughter Gerty. Annie died the following year on 15 December 1940 and Tom on 15 February 1941. Wallace married Alice Woodward (b. 1890) in 1915 (reg. A/M/J Nottingham) and they had two sons, Tom Wallace (b. West Bromwich 1915 O/N/D) and William Henry (b. Nottingham 1916). He gave his address as 2 Redoubt Street, Nottingham, when he attested in West Bromwich in June 1915. Wallace was granted furlough from 21 February 1918 to 2 March; the authority for furlough gave his address as 10 Charter Street, Radford. Wallace's widow Alice married Robert Clifford in 1919. In 1939 they were living in Nottingham with their son and daughter; the record of one other member of the household remains closed.
8th Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment. He may have been serving with 'D' Coy 6th Bn Lincolnshire Regiment before he returned to France in 1918. Wallace attested in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, on 24 June 1915, He was 23y 8m old and married with one child. Tom served in France no earlier than 1916. He was wounded in June 1917 (possibly a shell wound to the back) and again on 22 October 1917 suffering from a gunshot wound to the back and thigh. He was admitted to hospital again on 10 November 1917 with a septic ulcer on his left leg and possibly had an injury to his left hand - conditions perhaps connected with the earlier injury - and was not discharged from hospital until 21 February 1918. He had been transferred to England for treatment and was granted furlough from 21 February to 2 March 1918. Wallace returned to France, probably in March 1918 after the period of furlough. He died of wounds in No. 9 General Hospital, Rouen, on 29 August 1918. He is buried in St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, France (grave ref. R.11.G.13). He qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal. CWGC - History of St Sever Cemetery Extention (extract): 'During the First World War, Commonwealth camps and hospitals were stationed on the southern outskirts of Rouen. A base supply depot and the 3rd Echelon of General Headquarters were also established in the city. Almost all of the hospitals at Rouen remained there for practically the whole of the war. They included eight general, five stationary, one British Red Cross and one labour hospital, and No. 2 Convalescent Depot. A number of the dead from these hospitals were buried in other cemeteries, but the great majority were taken to the city cemetery of St. Sever. In September 1916, it was found necessary to begin an extension, where the last burial took place in April 1920.' www.cwgc.org)
His brother Henry William served in the 16th Bn Sherwood Foresters and was killed in action on 19 November 1917. He is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial. (See record on this Roll of Honour) Nottingham Evening Post, 'Roll of Honour', 3 September 1918: 'Blackwell. Died of wounds August 28th (sic) 1918. Private Tom Wallace Blackwell, Lincolnshires, son of Mr and Mrs Blackwell, 235 Castle Boulevard. Second son to fall. Father, mother, Gerty, Harold and sister Marie, brother Robert.' The following notice in the local paper about his brother's death gave the information that Tom had been wounded in 1917. Nottingham Evening Post, 'Roll of Honour', 8 December 1917: 'Blackwell. Killed in action November 18th 1917, Henry W Blackwell, Sherwood Foresters, age 36 (sic), eldest son of Tom and Annie Blackwell of 235 Castle Boulevard, Lenton. Mother, father, Gerty and Harold and brother Wallace [Tom Wallace] (wounded, in hospital).' Above courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 Nottingham Evening Post, ‘In Memoriam’, 29 August 1919: ‘Blackwell. In loving memory of Wallace Blackwell, 235 Castle-boulevard, 8th Lincolns, who died of wounds August 29th, 1918. This day brings back sad memories, our loved one gone to rest, and those who think of him to-day, are those wo loved him best. From his loving mother, father, sisters, and brothers.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk) His widow Alice received a pension of 25 shillings and 5 pence a week for herself and two children with effect from 3 March 1919. Registers of Soldiers' Effects: widow Alice was his legatee. WW1 Pension Ledgers Index Cards: named his widow Alice and two sons, all of Radford. Alice (Clifford) was living on Baron Street, Old Radford, when she received the Scroll in 1923.
